the academy s.p.a.c.e
I have been involved in supporting people who are in emotional and other life
difficulties most of my working life, initially in volunteering, then in social
work. My path from becoming a counsellor, to psychosexual therapist, trainer,
clinical supervisor, university lecturer and author started in 1983. From 1993
to 2010 I worked for Sheffield Hallam University teaching counselling and later
heading the Counselling Studies Unit. In 2006 I set up a counselling centre in
Sheffield (Cornerstone) with a colleague, which continues to thrive. In 2010
when SHU ceased professional training for prospective counsellors I sought
permission to set those courses up as part of a private training initiative. SHU
was very supportive, and so The Academy: SPACE came into being. The motivations
for all my work have been a wish to relieve suffering and to experience the joy
of seeing others grow and develop (and, of course, to heal some of my own wounds
on the way).